Bringing the World to your Kitchen

Nigerian Chapman Cocktail

There are four things I love to do in the summer. 1. Flit around pools, lakes, and oceans until my fingers wrinkle and warp. 2. Make mud pies and bake them in the Oklahoma sun. 3. Kiss my husband at the drive-in movie theater. 4. Dance like no one is watching.

Gèlèdé is an annual festival honouring “our mothers” (awon iya wa), not so much for their motherhood, but as female elders. It takes place when the dry season ends (March–May) among the Yoruba people of south-west Nigeria and neighbouring southeast Benin. Photo by Grete Howard.

When that’s all done, I like a good, sweet sipper and a shady spot to drink it down.

Thankfully, I just learned about Chapman – a bright, bubbly festival for your mouth. This is a Nigerian drink made for parties – supposedly invented by a Nigerian bartender named Chapman and, although I wasn’t able to find any solid facts on the history, I like the idea that there is a real live person behind the drink.

There are as many variations as there are bubbles in Chapman. The general idea is to mix orange soda (traditional would be fanta) with a lemon/lime soda (like sprite). I went with natural izze sodas and later made a version with san pelligrino. Both tasted bright and zesty.

Perhaps the most fun part of the drink is its rosy color, which can be added with either black current syrup or non-alcoholic grenadine. Grenadine will make the drink bright pink, while cassis will color the Chapman dusty rose. For a bit of beauty and juicy flavor – add a handful of sliced fruit – I used sweet orange and lime moons, although I’ve seen versions with banana slices, cucumber, or even pineapple pieces.

The finishing touch is a splash of angostura bitters, which lends a nice woodsy flavor. From what I’ve read, while the soda flavors can change up a bit (all orange or all lime, for example), a Chapman is not a Chapman without the bitters.

I just learned about Chapman – a bright, bubbly festival for your mouth. This is a Nigerian drink made for parties – supposedly invented by a Nigerian bartender named Chapman and, although I wasn’t able to find any solid facts on the history, I like the idea that there is a real live person behind the drink.
There are as many variations as there are bubbles in Chapman. The general idea is to mix orange soda (traditional would be fanta) with a lemon/lime soda (like sprite). I went with natural izze sodas and later made a version with san pelligrino. Both tasted bright and zesty.
Perhaps the most fun part of the drink is its rosy color, which can be added with either black current syrup or non-alcoholic grenadine. Grenadine will make the drink bright pink, while cassis will color the Chapman dusty rose. For a bit of beauty and juicy flavor – add a handful of sliced fruit – I used sweet orange and lime moons, although I’ve seen versions with banana slices, cucumber, or even pineapple pieces.
The finishing touch is a splash of angostura bitters, which lends a nice woodsy flavor. From what I’ve read, while the soda flavors can change up a bit (all orange or all lime, for example), a Chapman is not a Chapman without the bitters.Nigerian Chapman Cocktail

We had these often when we were in Nigeria 40 years ago, and wanted something less alcoholic than Star Beer. As I recall the ingredients were Orange Squash (British orange flavored syrup), Sprite, and Bitters. Always very refreshing on a hot day.